This wikiHow teaches you how to increase your device's download speeds. Aside from trying general fixes like minimizing the number of devices connected to your network and cutting down on running apps, you can also create a custom DNS browser for your network in order to download over a less crowded connection.

Steps

Part 1

General Fixes

1

Check your download speed. The easiest way to do this is to type internet speed into Google and then click the RUN SPEED TEST button near the top of the search results. This will give you an estimate of your computer's current download speed.

If you see that your download speed is significantly faster than files are actually downloading, the problem most likely isn't with your Internet.

If your download speed is much slower than your Internet package and router allow for, you need to minimize the number of devices connected to the Internet.

2

Disconnect any non-essential devices from the Internet. The more devices you have on your network, the slower your Internet will be. If you can disable consoles, phones, televisions, tablets, and alternate computers, your own computer's downloads will be faster.

3

Disable any apps you aren't using. When you're downloading a big (or a small) file, it helps to turn off apps that are taking up your bandwidth.

For example, you'd close BitTorrent if it was running in the background while you attempted to download a Windows update.

4

Turn off streaming services. Netflix, Hulu, and even YouTube can be a serious drain on your download speed. Even if it's only by a marginal amount, disabling these services will boost your download speeds.

You should also close any non-essential browser windows or tabs.

5

Try connecting your computer to your router via Ethernet. If your computer isn't using an Ethernet connection, connect it to your router with an Ethernet cable and see if your downloads increase in speed.

If your downloads do increase in speed, your wireless connection to the router is poor. Try staying closer to the router or purchasing a stronger router.

If the download speed doesn't increase, the problem is either with the router or your computer.

You can reset your router's cache by unplugging both the router and the modem, waiting for a minute or so, and then plugging everything back in.

6

Avoid seeding or uploading while attempting to download. As noble as it may be to give back to your favorite torrenting community by uploading, doing so while downloading will all but kill your download speeds. Wait to seed until all of your downloads have completed and you're no longer using the Internet (e.g., when you're at work or asleep).

7

Force your protocol encryption if you're using a torrenting service. This action disguises what you're downloading so that your ISP doesn't selectively throttle it. (ISPs will throttle if they know a BitTorrent client is doing a lot of downloading.) To do this:

Click Options in the BitTorrent or uTorrent window.

Click Preferences.

Click BitTorrent.

Click the "Outgoing" drop-down box.

Select Forced.

Click Apply, then click OK.

8

Buy a new router. If your router is more than a couple of years old, it will invariably begin to slow down, and it won't handle downloads as well as a newer one.

When purchasing a new router, make sure you look at models that support the same download speed as your Internet package (or, ideally, higher download speeds).

9

Upgrade your Internet connection speed. Some Internet connections simply aren't able to handle hefty downloads, such as console or computer game installations. Many ISPs have a "Gamer" package that prioritizes download speed, though you'll likely have to pay significantly more for this package than you would for a standard Internet package.

10

Contact your Internet Service Provider. If you've tried everything else and you can't get your download speeds to increase, you'll need to call your ISP and tell them about the problems you're experiencing.

You may even need to switch your ISP if you live in a remote-enough area.

Part 2

Using a Custom DNS Server

Windows

1

Open Start

. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen, or press ⊞ Win.

Ensure that your wireless access point is elevated, and the signal is unobstructed by objects. Establish as close to a line-of-sight as you can to the access point. If you're comfortable doing so, you can go into the router's settings and change the channel on which it broadcasts; this can reduce interference from other electronic devices in the area.

I used internet speed calculator and it says that I have 2.8 Mbps = 350 kb/s download speed, but my download speed on steam is around 900-950 kb/s. Why the difference?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

Most of the time if your internet is slow it is because the other devices take more and make it unbalanced. I'd say if YouTube is on another device, set it to auto. For apps or more, I'd go to offline versions of some apps. If it is not used, turn off the internet of the opposite device. If this doesn't help, use 'any of the listed clients' to upgrade your chances to help gain Mbps.

Tips

Internet download managers are often hit-or-miss. If you try one, make sure you download it from a reputable site.

Warnings

Be careful when updating old machines with new software (e.g., a Windows 7 computer updating to Windows 10). The toll on the computer's architecture is often too great to warrant optimal performance, both online and offline.